Riverstone International School
September 18, 2015
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 Dear Riverstone Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to welcome you to the 2015-2016 school year. For those of you who I have not yet met, my son, Matthew graduated with the Class of 2011. In my first term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, I had the privilege of presenting diplomas to Riverstone's first graduating class and celebrating a very special moment in our school history. After returning to the Board last year, I again had the honor of presenting diplomas to our graduates; this time for the Class of 2015. As I reflect upon the growth of Riverstone over the years, I find it deeply gratifying to be part of this special school community and appreciate knowing the commitment to our students' success is as strong as ever.
The Board of Trustees has two primary roles: to provide guidance to the Head of School and to act upon its fiduciary responsibility to ensure the school's long-term sustainability. We have five committees, including:
- Development
- Enrollment Management, Marketing and Strategy
- Finance
- Governance
- Operations
Our Board of Trustees includes Mort Hardwick (Vice Chairman), Mark Liebich (Vice-Chairman & Secretary), Scott Peterson (Treasurer), Brian Bava, Juan Carlos Duque, Tory Goltry, Kurt Liebich, John Perl, Jeff Russell, Ben Schwartzman, and Nicole Toeldte. Please take a few moments and visit the school website to read the biographies of our Trustees.
I look forward to sharing more about the Board of Trustees in future newsletters. Until then, thank you for being part of our Riverstone community.
Jerry Sturgill
Chairman, Board of Trustees
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Please be aware that Warm Springs Avenue between the Glacier Subdivision and the East Valley Subdivision will be closed from Friday, Sept 18 - Tuesday, Oct 6. This area is east of the school.
Please note that Warm Springs Avenue between Eckert Road and Riverstone is open for local traffic to access the school.
Download a map of the road closure here.
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MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
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All students in Grades 9-12 are invited to a "Movie Night on the Lawn" on Friday, Sept 25 at 8:00 PM!
A second "Movie Night on the Lawn" for students in Grades 6- 8 is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 30 at 7:30 PM.
Please mark your calendars and encourage your child to attend. The social events in the secondary school are a great way for students relax, have fun and socialize with one another in an enjoyable setting.
The movie to be shown for both events is still to be determined, however, we can ensure both will be school and age appropriate.
If you have questions, please contact Tarrah Elam.
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JOIN THE CARNIVAL COMMITTEE
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 Save the date for the Carnival: Friday, October 9.
In the meantime, we need your ideas and enthusiasm to help plan Riverstone's favorite family event -- the Carnival!
Our next planning meeting is Wednesday, September 23 at 8:40 AM after drop off in the ES Multi Purpose Room. Join us!
If you would like to be involved or have questions, please contact Michelle Nenov via email or phone at (415) 990-4138.
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SIGN UP FOR CHILDCARE DURING IN-SERVICE DAYS
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Childcare will be available to students ages 3 - 11 on October 1 and 2 during our teacher in-service days.
The service will be available from 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM for a fee of $30.
Please reserve your child's space for the day or a portion of the day no later than Monday, Sept 28 with Tarrah Elam.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DAY OF SERVICE
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 All students in Grades 6 - 12 will join the local community on Thursday, October 15 from 8:20 AM to 12:00 PM.
Riverstone's morning of service is a dedicated time that allows students to volunteer in their advisory groups. In the past, we have partnered with organizations such as Boise Parks Department, Boys and Girls Club, Create Common Good, Discovery Center, Idaho Youth Ranch and more.
Parents: if you would like to be part of our efforts, we would love to have your help.
Please contact Tarrah Elam for more details.
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KEEPING OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INFORMED
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 We recently were asked how we keep our busy Middle and High School students informed of all the opportunities and events at school. We are guessing that many of you have wondered that same question!
Here is what happens in the Middle and High School:
- Verbal weekly announcements: On the first day of each week, Andy Johnson and Tarrah Elam gather the students in Gr 6-8 and 9-12 separately and share news at their group announcements
- Written notes on ManageBac: Andy Johnson recaps the announcements and posts the information as notes for students on ManageBac
- Signage and Social Media: We use a combination of A-frame signs, community bulletin boards, and social media to remind students of events
We have also been asked if we could share the school newsletter with students. We are happy to do so! However, to have this happen, we need students to opt-in to the newsletter.
If your student would like to receive the weekly school newsletter, please have him or her click on the Join our Mailing List button below, provide his or her email address, and opt-in! |
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 High School Boys Basketball Team Meeting
If your student is interested in playing High School Boys Basketball (Gr 9-12), please contact Eric Chapman, Head Coach, at echappy@aol.com.
Eric will be holding a Boys High School Basketball team meeting on Monday, Sept 21 from 5:30 - 6:00 PM in Room 34 of the Middle School.
High School Co-Ed Soccer
Riverstone soccer started off strong with a win last Saturday. 10-0. Everybody's really excited to be back and playing. The next game is this Saturday, Sept 19 at Simplot Field #3 at 9:00 AM. Come out and cheer them on!
High School Volleyball
A note from their coach: "I am very pleased with our performance against the Wilder Wildcats earlier this week. The team was disciplined and took care of our side of the court. It was exciting to see girls enjoy the game and see their hard work paying off."
The team plays on Thursday, Sept 17 at The Ambrose School.
Middle School Volleyball
The Middle School Volleyball team started off their season this week with two back-to-back games. The team is having a great time improving their skills while being part of team. Come cheer them on next Tuesday when they play Compass Charter School at home! Game time is 4:00 PM.
Please check the school calendar for athletic events. The teams would love to have your support! If you have questions regarding Riverstone's athletic program, please email Demi Dlouhy. Go Otters!
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 This weekend ten Riverstone Middle and High School students will be competing in the 3-day US Classic Orienteering Championships in Tahoe, CA. The 3-day event will feature a Sprint event (1.5km - 2km) in Northstar Resort and two days of Middle Distance events (2km-6km) at Little Truckee Summit. After several Riverstone orienteerers took home national titles at the US Ultralong Championships here in Boise in June (Taavi Z - Under 12 boys, Zoe P - Under 14 girls, Avery P - Under 16 girls), Riverstone students are excited for the chance to add some Classic Distance Championships to their accolades! Orienteering is Riverstone's newest Varsity sport. We offer the only competitive Middle and High School orienteering program in the state and our team has begun posting strong results against some of the faster Under 20 juniors in the country. Ben Brock coaches the school's orienteering team, which practices Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 PM. Students in Grades 5-12 can sign up using the After School Activities Registration Form. Go Otters!
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PARENTS' ASSOCIATION NEWS
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 Learn about the Merci lunch program
Merci lunches are a longstanding tradition at Riverstone where families express their gratitude to the staff through the gift of food. Families, organized by grade, provide a themed potluck lunch to their Division's staff, i.e., Preschool - Grade 5 provide lunch for the Elementary Staff (30 people) and Grades 6 -12 provide lunch for the Middle and High School Staff (35 people). The two lunches occur on the same date.
Elementary grades each typically host one lunch per year. The Middle and High School will be a coordinated group effort for each lunch.
The full Merci calendar is available on the Community Opportunity Sign Up. Potluck theme ideas will be offered, but creativity is always welcome and encouraged!
Room parents will notify their families through email and we often include reminders in the newsletter. You will be able to sign up online.
In addition to the lunches, the Merci Coordinator organizes a School Year Kick Off Luncheon, an All Staff Breakfast before the state training in October, and a final meal during Staff Appreciation Week, the first week in May.
Please contact Anne-Claire Depuydt, Merci Coordinator, if you have questions or would like to assist with the Merci Committee.
Please contribute to the Parents' Association Fund
You can download the PA Funds Contribution Form and return your form and contribution to the Elementary School front desk. Thank you!
Final call for photos for the Photo Directory: September 30
To have your family's photo included, please send an email to Riverstonepa@riverstoneschool.org with the following:
- A family photo (1MB digital file)
- If your child lives in two households, please feel free to send two photos
If you have any questions, please contact Treacy Liebich.
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POLICY HIGHLIGHT: ILLNESS
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 For the protection of your child's classmates and staff, if any of the following signs or symptoms is present, keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after the last sign of symptom.
When a student has a communicable disease, it must be reported to the school at once. Communicable diseases include: Chicken Pox, Head Lice, Impetigo, Pink Eye/Conjunctivitis, Ringworm, Scabies, Scarlet Fever, Strep Throat or Fifth Disease.
When the school becomes aware of students having been exposed to a communicable disease, the school will make every effort to contact families of the exposed students.
If a child becomes ill at school, or has any of the above symptoms, parents will be contacted in order to take their child home.
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OUTDOOR FALL TRIPS & RAFTING
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New pictures to enjoy! If you'd like to see what our students experience during fall trips and rafting adventures, please check out our photos on the Riverstone Facebook page and Instagram.
Thank you to the students, teachers, and parents who have shared photos. We will be adding video in the next few weeks as well. Stay tuned!
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We like to share what our students are up to outside of their school day. Please send information that you'd like to share to Kathleen Gilton.
This past August, Riverstone students Gabe B (Gr 12), Olivia De (Gr 9), Kelli W (Gr 8) and Hailey W (Gr 6) focused on their musical talents while attending the Sun Valley Summer Music Workshops. The workshops were taught by musicians from the Sun Valley Summer Symphony combined with teachers from throughout the state. It was a great week of music for these talented Riverstone musicians!
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 Hello from Riverstone alumnae Hannah Mae Schaeffer and Melinda Quick! We want to tell you what we've been up to after our 2009 Riverstone International School graduation!
Recently, we have become representatives of Boise's newest philanthropic outlet, Global Shapers Boise (GSB). Originally started by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2011, the Global Shapers is a highly curated worldwide network for exceptional and dedicated millennials to use talents and passions to make positive change in their local communities, while utilizing the platform of a powerful and highly influential global impact community, WEF.
Founded this past April, our Boise hub has been cultivating team members and moving forward with project initiatives. Within the next few months, GSB will be working on creating a reputation of becoming a driving force of positive change in the Boise community by focusing on small, impactful projects related to improving local children's health, defining Boise's identity, and encouraging community members to be active outside.
This June, we drove 28 hours round-trip with three other GSB members to Banff and Calgary in Alberta, Canada, in order to attend an annual WEF Global Shapers conference called Shape North America and learn more about the Global Shaper community. Hosted by the Calgary and Edmonton hubs, we were inspired by over 100 other Global Shaper members from all over North America while discussing projects and practices that other hubs have initiated in their communities to effect change. At the conference we met with Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, Bea Beatriz, Coca Cola's Chief Sustainability Officer, Rollin Stanley, City Manager of Calgary, and many other speakers that encourage entrepreneurship and support Global Shaper Hubs all over the world.
We believe Boise is in it's prime and it's all up from here! As "the Athens of sagebrush," known for our bustling arts and culture scene and the place where the "potato chip meets the microchip" the goal of becoming "the most livable city in the country," is in our grasp.
By applying our experiences gained as Riverstone alum, we look forward to being a part of Global Shapers to work with the team and other young leaders of Idaho to be a disruptive force to make meaningful change through Boise, the state of Idaho, and in the world. Feel free to follow us on Facebook or email our team at boiseshapers@gmail.com
for more information on our current projects!
Melinda and Hannah are on the far left in the photo above.
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 Feedback has been great on our new lunch program offered by Life's Kitchen.
If you have questions, or issues with the ordering system, contact Jeremy at Life's Kitchen at (208) 331-0199 x302 or jeremy@lifeskitchen.org.
The online ordering system can be found here: http://lifeskitchen.h1.hotlunchonline.net and the Riverstone School Code is 211-930.
Download more information on the school lunch program, including ordering instructions.
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This week's Facebook photo of the week features the High School Volleyball team. Go Otters!
Keep an eye on Riverstone's Facebook page and Instagam to keep up with what's happening at Riverstone!
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